Moses’ Complaint about the People
11: 10-15
Moses’ complaint about the People DIG: Why do you think the people’s attitude changed between 9:15-23 and 10:11-36? Why do you think their attitude deteriorated so rapidly? Why did Moshe become discouraged? Did Moshe consider their complaints valid? Would you? Why or why not? How does Moses display lack of faith here? In his despair and frustration, what did he ask ADONAI to do?
REFLECT: When are you, like Moshe, most likely to become discouraged with your lot in life? When discouraged, do you listen more to people’s complaints, to God’s provision, or inner doubts? Ask the LORD to forgive you for the times when you have complained about His purpose for your life. Ask God to teach you to be more content with what He has provided. What complaints damage your fellowship with God?
The burden of leadership.
Anyone who has served any length of time leading a congregation of God’s people is familiar with the frustration Moshe feels as he cries out to ADONAI. Even when things are going well, and there are no real crisis situations, and the leadership is well-liked, discontentment can begin to seep in and spread throughout the congregation. It is the way of human beings born with the disease of sin. We do not need legitimate complaints; we will always find something to complain about. This is true for any leader in a position of responsibility over a business, political, or social organization. But it is far more stressful and painful for leaders placed over a congregation because issues of spirituality, faith and relationship inevitably become entangled with discord.
As people of the Torah, we should learn from the book of Numbers. If Moshe was so distressed with leadership responsibilities that he felt suicidal, how much more so our congregational leaders. We need to take a cue from this. We need to become proactive about defending our leadership and silencing the voices of discontentment and antagonism which so quickly spread throughout the congregation. We need to encourage our congregational leaders and stand by them, even if they do turn out to be merely human beings and make mistakes like the rest of us.188 Moshe heard the people crying, family after family, each person at the entrance to his tent (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Gy – Moses and the Tent of Meeting); the anger of ADONAI flared up violently; and in mirroring the feelings of YHVH, in the eyes of Moses it was evil (11:10). This brought pressure on Moshe, and depressed, he asked God:
Here is an example of introversion in a speech (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and introversion). This structure clearly shows that although Moses’ complaint seemingly stresses his need for assistance in administration (ABC and CBA), his main concern is expressed in the pivot (D), where his whining discloses his questioning whether God will enable him to provide Isra’el with meat.189
A. Why are you treating your servant so badly (11:11a)? Moshe’s selfless concern for his people had apparently evaporated. Instead of turning to the LORD to ask that he might understand the substance of their complaint, Moses turned to the LORD to ask why he was given such an ungrateful people to lead. There is a human touch in all of this; Moshe is caught off guard, as it were – ill-prepared for the magnitude of the problem he faced in leading such a sinful group of people.190
B. Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, so that you put the burden of this entire people (rather than my people) on me (11:11b)? In other words, if You really love me, You wouldn’t burden me with these people. Knowing, as we do, how ungrateful and hardheaded the people of Isra’el were, it is amazing that Moses wasn’t discouraged more often!191
C. Did I conceive all these people (12:a)? Was I their father, so that You should say to me, “Carry them in your arms, like a nurse carrying a baby, to the land you swore to their ancestors?” The Hebrew emphasizes the “I,” that is, “I am not the father of these people – but, God, You are! After all, it is YHVH who has conceived these people. It was He who gave them birth. He was their nurse, their mother in the wilderness. He has promised them their Land. The people were screaming at Moses; but, ultimately, they were ranting against God.192
D. Where am I going to get meat to give to all the people? Because they keep pestering me with their crying and saying, “Give us meat to eat” (11:13)! Moses does not justify the murmuring of the people, and was doubtless conscious of their sinfulness. At the same time, however, he displays a spirit of discouragement to the point of despair, at God’s dealings with himself; and appears to treat the demand of the Israelites for meat as not being altogether unreasonable.
C. I can’t carry this entire people by myself alone – it’s too much for me (11:14)! The problem is that Moses feels alone in his responsibility, which weighs heavily on his shoulders. The stress pushes him over the edge. Moses lost his perspective and got his eyes off the LORD and onto himself, something that’s easy to do in the difficult experiences in life.193
B. Finally, in resignation, he declares: If you are going to treat me this way, then just kill me outright (11:15a)! Moses’ despair concerning his life’s lot parallels those of other notables in Isra’el’s history. Job cursed the very day of his birth in the midst of his season of suffering (Job 3:1-4); after Elijah put the prophets of Ba’al to the sword, he became very depressed and wanted ADONAI to take his life (First Kings 19:3-4); and Jeremiah likewise bemoaned his birth in the midst of the shame he experienced in being beaten and imprisoned by Pashur in Jerusalem (20:14-18)! At this point in his leadership ministry, Moshe faced a crisis of faith and dependency, preferring death as a favor from God rather than continue to have the responsibility of directing such a rebellious people.
Notice how Moses argues with YHVH. You will recall that, after the golden calf incident (see the commentary on Exodus Gq – The Golden Calf Incident), Moshe argued for covenant renewal on the basis of the favor he had found with YHVH. Moses had prayed: Now if I have found favor in Your sight, ADONAI, I pray, let the LORD go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession (Exodus 34:9). Now, however, in his despair, he argues against having to lead the people any further, and distances himself from the Israelites.
A. Please, if you have any mercy toward me! – and don’t let me go on being this miserable (11:15b)! This makes this whole passage an outpouring of Moshe’s self-pity, climaxed by this final remark. Since Ha’Shem is the author of Moses’ wretchedness, He might as well finish the job – and take his life. ADONAI responded with grace and yet also with judgment (see Bt – ADONAI’s Response). Moses would get some relief, but in the long run this was just the beginning of troublesome years to come.194
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that the number of troublesome years on earth will soon be over and there will be an eternity of peace and joy for all who love You. We all long for good times with family and respect from our work, but sometimes that does not happen. We need to keep in mind that a relationship of love with You is so much better than anything life can offer and your love lasts for all eternity. Day to day problems and personal conflicts sometimes seem to weigh us down, but there is way so much better than complaining to solve the problems. I thank You that as I pray, asking You to give me wisdom, my heart is lifted. I praise You for Your loving care in my life. It is so much better for me to appreciate You than to complain. Prayer is the first thing to do when a problem comes. How wonderful that You listen to my prayers and promise to answer me (John 5:14-15)! I love You Father God and delight in praising You for Your awesome love and indwelling presence in my life (John 14:23) – even when times are hard. You are worthy of all our love and praise! I look forward to praising You thru All eternity! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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